The researchers noticed that anemic patients tended to be older, to have
do-not-resuscitate orders, and to have health problems including diabetes,
heart disease, and kidney disease.

Patients with polycythemia were more likely to be smokers and to have
conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the
researchers note.

Wu's team considered such factors in analyzing the data. Their findings
held.

However, Wu's team notes that abnormal red blood cell counts may be a marker
-- but not a cause -- of postsurgery risk.

Since the veterans were mainly white men, the findings may not apply to
other groups of people aged 65 and older.

Fixing the Problem?

It remains to be seen whether correcting low or high red blood cell counts
would be beneficial to patients. The study didn't explore that issue.

However, an editorial published with the study suggests caution in
correcting older adults' abnormal red blood cell counts before major
surgery.

Until further studies are done, "the community of clinicians caring for
patients preoperatively should learn from these experiences and resist the urge
to 'not just stand there -- but do something,'" write editorialists Farhood
Farjah, MD, and David Flum, MD, MPH.

Farjah and Flum work in Seattle at the University of Washington's surgery
department. Flum is also a contributing editor for The Journal of American
Medical Association.